Coffee maker



June 9, 1953 P. E. WILLMAN 2,541,631

COFFEE MAKER Filed Nov. 10. 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR PHlLIP E. WILLMAN P. E. WILLMAN June 9, 1953 COFFEE MAKER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10. 1951 oooooooo INVENTOR PHILIP E. WILLMAN /WMJ June 9, 1953 P. WILLMAN 2,641,681

COFFEE MAKER Filed Nov. 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Pga":

6 j 0 INVENTOR G PHILIP E. WILLMAN Patented June 9, 1953 COFFEE MAKER Philip E. Willman, Maple Park, Ill., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 10, 1951, Serial No. 255,796

Claims.

My invention relates to cooking devices, including cofiee makers, and to automatic heating and timing controls therefore.

An object of my invention is to provide a coffee maker having a movable coffee grounds basket, an electric heater for water, and a thermal timer and controller for controlling the operation of the basket and heater.

Another object is to provide a thermal controller in such a cofiee maker for heating water with the coffee basket submerged until a high temperature, suitable for brewing, is reached and then until sufficient time for steeping has elapsed, for then lifting the coffee basket from the brew, and for then maintaining the brew at a lower temperature suitable for serving.

Another object is the provision of a thermal controller for bringing a controlled device, such as a cooker, up to a pre-set temperature, and then after a pre-set delay, cooling it and holding it at a pre-set lower temperature.

Another object is the provision of a simple and reliable mechanism for such a controller.

Another object is the provision of two bimetal bars operable as a combined thermal timer and temperature regulator for efiecting such a control operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide adjustable thermal means for controlling the length of the steeping time.

Stil1 another object of my invention is to provide an electric heater thermally controlled by two bimetal bars adjusted by two knobs to provide the proper temperature in accordance with the number of cups of coffee being brewed.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description of a specific coffee maker embodying my invention, which illustrates the manner in which the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in side elevation, of a coffee maker embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the cofiee maker shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, the position of the parts being shown before the start of a heat-up and steeping cycle;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3, showing the position of the latching means before the start of a heat-up and steeping cycle;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that the parts are shown in latching position as when the cofiee basket has been depressed;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 3 with the bottom plate removed;

Fig. 9 is a diagram of the circuits of my improved coffee pot before or after a brewing cycle; and,

Fig. 10 is a diagram of the control circuits during a brewing period, after the water has reached the boiling point and during the timing cycle.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my improved coffee maker comprises a pot 2|, spout 23, a handle 25, a cover 21 having a lifting handle 29 preferably of a heat-insulating material. The handle 29 has a depending projection 3| at its outer end that fits into a cooperating recess 33 in the upper outer end of handle 25. An openbottom supporting base 35 contains the operating and the control mechanisms which will hereinafter be described, and is closed by a plate 31. Screws 4| (Fig. 3) hold the supports 39 and member 31 to bars 43 which are fastened by screws 45 to an annular member 41 adjacent the bottom of the pot.

As may be seen in Fig. 3, a basket-supporting tube 49 sets on its flange 53 in an opening 5! in the bottom of pot 2|. An electric heater 55 is insulatedly held against the under side of the pot bottom by a plate 51 and screws 59 which also hold annulus 41. A nut 6| holds tube 49 in place and clamps the center of heating element 55. A rod 63 reciprocates in tubular member 49. At its lowermost end a horizontal bar 65 is held thereon by a nut 61. Bar 65 has a part 69 of inverted cup shape for receiving the upper smaller end of a spiral expansion spring H which normally holds the rod 49 in an elevated position. The lower end of spring ll rests against the lower horizontal part 13 of a bracket plate I5, the upper end portion of which is held by nut 6|.

A perforated coffee basket 11 is mounted on a long thimble 19 which is provided with a heat insulating handle 8| and a plurality of spaced annular grooves 83 adapted to receive and hold basket 11. The central tubular portion of basket 11 has a plurality of longitudinal slots for making it resilient, and a necked portion 89 which can spring into any one of the corresponding annular grooves 83 in thimble 19 for supporting the basket at three separate heights. A cover 9' I completes the basket. A small thimble 93 3 fastened to the upper end of rod 63 by a screw 95 fits into grooved thimble 19 for giving it a firm support. For disassembly the thimble I9 and basket are lifted olT rod 49 and thimble 9|, and basket is then pulled down off grooved thimble I9.

Coffee is to be made by immersing the basket with a load of coffee grounds during heating and steeping and then lifting it out of the water automatically by means of the control mechanism now 'to be described. The three grooves 83 permit the height of the basket to be adjusted according to the amount of water being used. Having been loaded and set in the correct groove so that it is just above the water, the basket is lowered by manual pressure on handle 8I. This action immerse the coffee grounds in the water, and by lowering rod 49, compresses spring II.

Bar 65, as it moves down with red 39, is guided by a slot in bracket I (Figs. 4 and 5) into engagement with a lever arm 9'! which pivots on screw 99 on bracket I5 and normally held up by spring IQI. Bar E5 pushes the lever 91 down from the position of Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5 where it catches under a projecting part m3 on a pivotally mounted latch I65 which constitutes the armature of an electromagnet It? (Figs. 5 and 6) Accordingly, the coffee grounds in the basket iii are held submerged, against the tendency of spring II to lift them, by lever 2? and magnetic latch I05. Magnet II]? is adapted to be energized for releasing the basket at the proper time under control of a thermal control means that is best described in connection with Figs. 9 and 10 but which is shown abo in Figs-3 to 8. This thermal control constitutes an important part of my invention. A single-pole double-throw switch M5 (Figs. '7, 9 and 10) is so constructed and adjusted that the central contact arm ii! is normally biased upward against a substantially fixed contact arm H9. When bar 65 is moved down it pushes contact arm II? away from contact H9 into engagement with a lower contact arm IEI. Contact arms I I1, H9 and I2I are insulatedly supported on a horizontal projection of plate '53.

I provide a pair of parallel thermal bimetal bars constituting a main bimetal bar 123 and an auxiliary or compensating bimetal bar 525. Bimetal bar I23 is provided with three contact members. One normally engages a contact on a spring contact arm i2'i'which is biased in a clockwise direction as seen in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, so that it tends to follow the flexing of bimetal bar I 23 which flexes in a clockwise direction upon being heated up. Another contact is adapted to engage a contact on bimetal bar I25, but is normally spaced therefrom as shown in Fig. 9. A third contact I29 is adjacent the free outer end thereof, which contact is adapted to engage with a contact on a contact arm IBI insulatedly supported on plate I3, shown in Figs. 3 to 8.

7 As is shown best in Figs. 6 and 8, the bars I23, I25 and I2? are insulatedly supported by an upwardly extending lug integral with member 13. Arm I39 (see particularly Fig. 8) is pivotally mounted on the same lug as supports bimetal bar I23 and contact arms I25 and I21, all of which, together with the electric-insulating blocks therebetween, are secured by a short rod having a nut screwed thereon.

'Bimetal bars I23 and 225 are adapted to be heated by the air within base 35 during the operation of heater 55. Since my coffee pot is designed to make coffee, say two cups as a minimum, as well as eight cups as a maximum, it is evident that the length of time required for heating element 55 to bring the temperature of the water in the pot up to a value on the order of 205 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit will depend in part on the amount of water being heated, and so will the amount of temperature rise of the air in lower casing 35. Accordingly I provide a small knob I35 adjacent the lower end of support 35 so that the heating time controlled by the contacts I23I2'I (as will be described presently) may be set for the number of cups of water that are placed in the coffee pot. It controls the cut-01f temperature of the bimetal I 23 according to time required for'heating various numbers of cups of water. For example, a pointer on knob I35 may indicate 2, 4, 6 or 8 cups. I also provide a larger knob I33 for adjusting the spacing of bimetals I23 and I 25 for thereby adjusting the time during which the coffee grounds will steep in the heated Water, which may for example be marked light and dark. Knob I33 controls a cam surface I-3'I, which cam surface is operatively engaged by an arm I39. This arm I39 is connected with. compensating bimetal .bar I25 (Figs. 8 and 9) so that, for example, if knob I33 is turned in a righthandeddirection, the bimetal bar I25 is pushed to the left (counterclockwise) closer to bimetal bar i23,

I provide an auxiliary heating coil I II, wound on the main bimetal bar I23 and covered by heatand electric-insulating material, such as glass fiber M3. Conveniently, heater It! may have a resistance of 40 ohms, and a small auxiliary resister Itti, having a resistance on the order of 295 ohms, also located in the lower base member may be electrically connected in series with it.

The circuit and operation of my control are shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Fig. 9 shows the condition of the apparatus before the coffee basket is pushed-down. Operation-is initiated by pushing down the coffee basket and letting it be held by magnetic latch I65, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 10. Then current is supplied from terminal pin I il through pot heater 55, contacts Ill and IZI (as shown in Fig. 10), contact I27 and bimetal I23 (as shown in Fig. 9) to terminal pin I53. Pot heater 55 thereby is energized for heating the water in the pot 2|, the air in the base 35, and thereby the two bimetal bars I23 and I25. These two bimetal bars are of similar composition and thickness, and being heated similarly at this stage'of the operation they deflect to the right at substantially the same rate. Spring contact I2? follows bimetal I23 to keep the circuit closed, and the action continues until spring I27 stops against the pin of adjusting knob I35 to end the water-heating part of the operation. At this point the contacts in bimetal I23 and spring I2? separate to cut resistor M5 and the bimetal heater ItI into the circuit. The resistance of pot heater 55 is so low that it now generates very little heat. If knob I has been set properly according to the quantity of water in the pot the water should now be at a suitable temperature for making coffee, say 205 F.

. Up to this point the bimetals I23 and I25 have been bending to the right together so that the spacing between them has remained approximately constant. Now the heat supplied by heater MI to bimetal I23 carries its temperature above that of bimetal 25 for slowly closing the gap between them. During this operation the coffee grounds are steeping in the hot water, and the circuits are in the condition shown in Fig. 10.

After a time, say three minutes, determined by the setting of knob I35, the contact on bimetals I23 engages that on I25 for energizing magnet I01. The current for the magnet, like that for heater MI, is drawnthrough heater 55. Magnet I0! immediately releases lever 65 so that spring "II (Fig. 3) lifts the basket I! out of the water to end the steeping operation. Lever 65 also releases switch arm I I1 so that it disengages contact arm l2! for deenergizing heater HI and magnet I01 and engages contact arm H9 for establishing a connection to contact I3 I. Heater 55 is now deenergized but the Water is still at a high temperature, say 200 F. As it cools, bimetal I23 also cools and deflects to the left until contact I29 engages l3l for reenergizing heater 55. The circuit is now from connector pin I 41, through heater 55, contacts I I1 and H9, contacts I 3| and I29, bimetal I23 and connector pin I53. Under this condition of the circuit, bimetal I23 repeatedly opens and closes contacts I29|3l for turning heater 55 on and off for holding the pot at a substantially constant temperature suitable for keeping the coffee brew at a desirable serving temperature, say 160 F.

The device embodying my invention thus provides a relatively simple and highly efiicient means for brewing any desired quantity of coffee up to the maximum in a relatively small pot, the construction of the parts of my improved cofiee maker being such that the size is appreciably reduced. My improved control makes it unnecessary to provide an auxiliary heating unit for keeping the brew warm since my temperature-controlled thermal elements are eflective to control the energization of a main heating element for that purpose. Further, I have provided a simple and reliable, adjustable thermal timer for controlling the operations of heating the water, steeping the grounds, and keeping the brew warm.

It will be apparent that my invention is capable of modifications and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in a cooking device or the like, heating means, two similar thermally responsive elements similarly exposed to the heat of said heating means for responding similarly thereto, a first set of contacts operable by one of r said elements at a high temperature, a second set of contacts operable by one of said elements at a low temperature, a timing heater for additionally heating at least one of said elements and heating that one more than the other in response to operation of said first set of contacts at said high temperature, a change-over switch operated jointly by said two elements in response to their dissimilar responses to heat from said timing heater for deenergizing said timing heater and connecting said heating means in circuit for control by said second set of contacts at said low temperature.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said two: thermally-responsive elements are bimetal bars.

- 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said two thermally-responsive elements are bimetal bars and said first and second contacts are operated by the same one of said bimetal bars.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said change-over switch includes an electric relay controlled by a pair of cooperating contacts one of which is moved by each of said thermally-responsive elements so that said pair of contacts engage and disengage in response to dissimilar operation of said two thermally-responsive elements.

5. In combination in a coffee maker or the like, a container for Water, an electric heater therefore, a basket submersible in water in said container, lifting means for moving said basket out of submerged position, a first bimetal bar responsive to the temperature of said container, two sets of contacts operable thereby at difierent temperatures, a change-over switch operable when said basket is submerged for causing the highertemper-ature set of said contacts to control said heater for energizing it, a second bimetal bar, a timing heater for one of said bars, timer contacts jointly operated by said two bars, said highertemperature contacts being operable to reduce the rate of energization of said container heater and energizing said timer-heater in response to said container reaching that higher temperature, said timing contacts being operable by the dis similar responses of said two bimetal bars to said PHILIP E. WILLMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,887,848 Peirce Nov. 15, 1932 2,076,096 Samuels et a1. Apr. 6, 1937 2,209,831 Schurig July 30, 1940 2,281,319 Newell Apr. 28, 1942 2,427,444 Colombo Sept. 16, 1947 2,504,728 Purpura Apr. 18, 1950 

